Conventional clothes hangers are generally designed with a center section having rigid arms that extend outward and are angled downwardly from the center section. Projecting upwardly from the center section is a suspension hook that allows the hanger to be hung from a horizontal pole or other protuberance. In addition to conventional clothes hangers, the prior art also discloses several designs of clothes hangers that have rigid arms that retract inwardly.
The conventional clothes hangers suffice fop hanging most garments that have a large neck opening such as found on front opening coats and shifts However, when a narrow necked garment, such as a pullover buttoned down shirts or turtleneck sweater, is to be hung on a clothes hanger, it is necessary to insert the hanger up through the opening in the lower portion of the garment and into the garment's shoulder section. The retractable arm clothes hanger, when the arms are retracted, is designed to allow the hanger to be easily inserted and removed into the neck opening of a pullover shirt or turtleneck sweater. Once inserted, the arms can be extended into their rigid, outwardly extended position. Thus, preventing unnecessary garment stretching. Retractable arm hangers can also be easily and conveniently stored when not in use.
A search of prior art patents and marketing literature did not disclose any retractable clothes hangers that utilized the spring biased design and overall structure of the applicant's design. However, the following U.S. patents found in the search are considered related.
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 4,730,757 Keller 15 March 1988 4,673,116 Keller 16 June 1987 4,186,857 Helms, Jr. 5 February 1980 3,802,610 Love, et al 9 April 1974 ______________________________________
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,757 Keller patent discloses a collapsible clothes hanger. The hanger includes a first arm and a second arm that are pivotally connected by means of a pivot pin, to allow the ends to pivot from an extended to a retracted position. When the arms are extended, they are configured to support an article of clothing. Conversely, when in the retracted position, the clothing can be removed from the hanger or the hanger can be inserted into a garment. The hanger is provided with a supporting hook that allows the hanger to be supported from a clothes rod.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,116 Keller patent discloses a spring-loaded clothes hanger. The hanger includes a first member and a second member. The first member incorporates a supporting hook, a circular hinge section and a first supporting arm. The second member has a second supporting arm and a pivoting axle. The axle extends through the circular section to allow the arms to move downward towards each other and a stop engages the top of the first supporting arm which limits the upward movement of the arms. A spring located between the first and second members urges the two members upwards and away from each other to cause the stop to engage the first which allows a garment to be supported, when the arms are pulled downward, the garment may be pulled off the hanger,
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,857 Helms, Jr. patent discloses a collapsible coat hanger. The hanger includes a first arm, a second arm and a hook. The hook mutually pivots on a pin so as to rotate relative to one another for folding from an extended portion to a folded, storage position. The first pin engages one of the arms through a slot extending in the arm. The pin and slot combination permits the arms to slide relative to the pin to engage a projection on the arm with an abutment on the other arm, thereby holding the coat hanger in its open position.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,610 Love, et al patent discloses a collapsible garment hanger. The hanger includes a pair of like garment hanger arms that ape pivotally connected by a spindle coupling inserted through their respective coupled ends. The unconnected ends can be collapsed towards each other around the spindle coupling. The stem end of a clothes rod engaging hook is journaled around the spindle between the coupled hanger ends. The spindle also serves as a seat for maintaining a spring that biases the coupled hanger arms towards one another. By twisting the respective unconnected hanger arm ends, against the spring bias, allows the hanger arms to be pivoted back towards one another to collapse the hanger. The collapsed hanger can be inserted into a garment without necessitating stretching the garment. Thereafter, the hanger arms can be pivoted into their extended position.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the search.
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 5,344,054 Nutter 6 September 1994 5,284,260 Caligiuri, Sr. 8 February 1994 4,997,115 Jolley 5 March 1991 4,948,019 Rodum 14 August 1990 4,907,771 Wang 13 March 1990 4,813,581 LaMont 21 March 1989 4,673,115 LaMont 16 June 1987 4,609,132 Brokenshire 2 September 1986 4,563,373 Barnett 7 January 1986 4,391,395 Karner 5 July 1983 4,160,515 Frei 10 July 1979 4,157,782 Mainetti 12 June 1979 4,044,928 Watanabe 30 August 1977 3,952,929 Horvath 27 April 1976 3,856,190 Mole 24 December 1974 3,764,019 Creamer 9 October 1973 3,647,073 Steiner 7 March 1972 3,632,028 Fussel 4 January 1972 ______________________________________